By Nab & Jinane B.
March 26, 2017
(Updated Oct 8, 25)
This research paper was written and researched with the tireless support of my late beloved wife, Jinane B.
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If to "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thess 5:21) must be applied to all doctrines, would you be willing to test what has been taught and practiced in Christianity regarding the "Lord's Supper" or "Communion"? Big topic, I know.
Is the "Lord's supper" a continual ritual or strictly symbolic and nothing more? What exactly did Jesus mean when he said, "Do this in remembrance of Me"?
In this article, I share what is revealed to us. I don't expect you to believe (though I wish), but at least, I urge you to examine it—on your own—by the spirit, scripture, and reason.
It is important to understand that the Lord's Supper is a spiritual meal. I don't think it is a repetitive ritual, the way most churches do. I will establish this from the scriptures in context. Note all occurrences referring to God's table, meal, or supper, and if they mean a literal ritual or a spiritual feeding.
In the Lord's Supper accounts in Matthew 26 and Luke 22, Jesus and his disciples were eating a regular "Passover" meal just like any other time. He was not performing or instituting a ritual! During eating, Jesus used whatever bread and wine were available to symbolize a grander spiritual "new covenant."
"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples...and he took the cup, ...and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it." (Matt 26:26-27)
Could you see that Jesus was not telling us to keep a meal ritual? To me, that's what most churches do!
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In the old temple was found the "table of the Lord" and the "show bread" which "foreshadowed" Christ, who is God's offering for us. Ironically, the churches still hold on to the old law with tables, bread, and wine, as if under the law!
God's table, with the cup and the bread, represents spiritual participation (not a ritual) in the blood and the body of Christ, which feeds and sustains all true believers as seen from these scriptures.
"The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?" (1 Cor 10:16, 21 ESV)
"For we, being many, are one bread, one body: for we are all partakers of that one loaf" (1 Cor 10:17)
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The parable of "God’s great Supper" is a spiritual supper, prepared for Gentile believers (portrayed as spiritually poor, maimed, lame, and blind). Jesus Christ is God's offering to sustain their lives forever.
“A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.' But they all, with one accord, began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yokes of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' Still, another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'
"So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.' And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.'
"Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 'For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'" (Luke 14:15-24)
All three examples above show that God's table, meal, or communion, in the new covenant, is SPIRITUAL. It is Jesus Christ, whose body is "The bread of life" and whose blood is "The cup of the Lord." No ritual is demanded or needed.
It's good to read John 6:25-68. It reveals Jesus' teachings are strictly spiritual and must be understood and acted upon "spiritually," as you will see.
Most verbs in John 6 refer to a continual action, namely: daily feeding on Christ's spiritual body, not consuming literal bread and wine!
Here's a sample from the Concordant Literal NT Translation:
"I am the Bread of life. He who is coming to Me should under no circumstances be hungering, and he who is believing in Me will under no circumstances ever be thirsting." (John 6:36)
"I am the living Bread which descends out of heaven. If anyone should be eating of this Bread, he shall be living for the eon." (John 6:51)
"He who is masticating My flesh and drinking My blood has life eonian." (John 6:54)
"To eat flesh and drink his blood" was shocking to the people! But it was so because they understood his speech carnally, not spiritually. To correct them, Jesus had this to say,
“The words I speak are spirit and life. The flesh (unspiritual understanding) benefits NOTHING.” (John 6:63)
Christ is unconcerned with fleshly rituals, no matter how devotional. All things are "Spiritually discerned" for the "spiritual person". (See 1 Cor 2:13-14)
Food and drink are needed every day, several times a day. Likewise, all true believers feed spiritually on Christ "every day" and "as often" for their spiritual nourishment and survival.
As literal food becomes part of the human body, our spiritual food, Christ, becomes part of our spiritual being. This is how we are changed day by day:
“We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord [Christ], are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” (2 Cor 3:18 ESV)
It would be unreasonable to keep a regular "bread and wine" ritual to remember Christ when he is already dwelling in true believers. There is nothing to remember, for he is with us "in the Spirit."
Was Jesus saying to remember a ritual or to remember Him? He asked us to "Remember Him", not a ritual: “For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come... this do in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:18-19)
Does one remember Christ once or always? Note Paul's words on the frequency: “For as often as [Gk., ‘hosakis’, as many times] you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes." (1 Cor 11:26 NKJV)
If Jesus instructed us to feed on him continually, would it not be silly to think he meant to keep eating bread and wine as often as we can? This is how believers "remember Jesus":
(1) "Eating his body" is to follow and obey his teachings and commands daily, out of love.
(2) "Drinking of his cup" is to suffer with him, to die to self, and serve others.
A ritual can never achieve "the things of the spirit," "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." (Rom 8:5)
The Lord's supper operates in a "new way". But the churches seem to do it the old way with literal bread and wine in a sombre, funeral-like atmosphere.
In these 2 verses, a "new way" of the Lord's meal is taking place:
“I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.” (Matthew 26:29)
“I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14:25)
Now, Christ is our Passover, "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Cor 5:7). So, "I will drink it anew with you," is Christ's new spiritual nature being shared with all true believers through the Holy Spirit. In a nutshell, Jesus Himself is the "New Way", not an old passover ritual with bread and wine.
Even a random reading of the NT proves how Jesus shares himself in this "new way" (by the Holy Spirit):
The new Spirit of Christ teaches and guides:
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth...That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 16:13-15)
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The new Spirit gives revelation, wisdom, and power:
“I keep asking that God...may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” (Eph 1:17-20)
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The new Spirit distributes spiritual gifts:
“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good...All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills." (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
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The new Spirit seals believers:
“Ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” (Ephesians 1:13)
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The new Spirit produces spiritual fruits:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance...If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." (Gal 5:22-25)
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul addressed the Corinthians' behavioural problems. He was not telling them how to celebrate a ceremonial Lord’s Supper! Instead, he was rebuking them for their behaviour during fellowshipping.
Paul was reminding them of how to partake spiritually during fellowshipping, as Christ had instructed, because he found they came mainly to eat and drink at their gatherings instead of their homes.
This passage has nothing to do with establishing a ceremonial Lord's Supper. Rather, Paul was simply correcting a disrespectful conduct during their fellowship, to be in a manner worthy of Jesus Christ, whom they came to partake of.
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What if a believer desires to partake of the bread and the wine every day or several times a day? How much bread and wine can one handle? A literal interpretation is problematic! The Lord's Supper isn't a literal ritual meal.
"The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom 14:17 NKJV)
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Are those partaking daily, somehow better than those partaking monthly or annually? Again, a problem arises from a literal understanding rather than a spiritual one! Christ never set specific days or festivals!
"Let no man... judge you ... in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days." (Col 2:16)
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Dogmatism can arise when believers give more weight to religious rituals. It happens when the symbol e supersedes the substance! While some rituals are not wrong, they can hinder or blind believers if adhered to without recognizing their reality. Rituals can be especially problematic if decreed to be followed.
“Therefore, let no one pass judgment on you...with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Col 2:16-17 ESV)
“For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the form of those things itself, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, make those who approach perfect.” (Heb 10:1 ESV)
Israel viewed their sacrificial system as more or less a ritual! Unlike them, Jesus broke away from unnecessary rituals and traditions which dishonoured his Father. He rebuked the Pharisees, saying,
“Thus making void the word of God by your traditions that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mark 7:13)
Here is a partial list of unnecessary rituals and traditions Jesus broke away from:
Healed on the Sabbath.
Plucked grains on the Sabbath.
Refused ritual washings.
Did not condemn adulterous women!
Forfeited marriage and family.
Associated with sinners.
Spoke openly to women.
Allowed women to follow Him.
Accepted Jews and Gentiles alike.
Based on Jesus' way of thinking and character, it is difficult to imagine him to be the type who would want His followers to keep a religious ritual (ceremony), just to prove their appreciation for his sacrifice!
In rebuking their elders, Jesus had this to say about their man-made rituals and traditions, "This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." (Matt 15:8 ESV) Religious rituals and ceremonies have their way of becoming lip service!
Communion as practiced in Churches today is nothing more than a RITUAL of eating a tiny piece of bread and sipping some wine. What does it do? In itself, it does NOTHING to seriously change one’s character or make one closer to Jesus Christ, which is a believer's highest goal.
Rituals are easier and more convenient to follow than full obedience to Christ. They are easier than daily praying, reading, meditating, studying, and "Walking by faith." (2 Cor 5:7)
All traditions and ceremonies in Israel have become spiritual realities for all believers under the New Covenant. Here's a short list:
The Passover is Jesus Christ (1 Cor 5:4-8)
The Circumcision is of the heart (Rom 2:29)
The Temple of God is the body of Christ (1 Cor 3:16)
Jerusalem is a New heavenly Jerusalem (Gal 4:26)
Our Sabbath is Christ (Matt 12:8)
True worshippers no longer worship in a specific place, in a particular way, or with rituals or traditions because, "if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." (Gal 5:18 NKJV) All manner of fleshly worship ceased for "True worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth." (John 4:21-24)
Physical ritual (the Lord's Supper or others) can not make one spiritual. Although they appear to "have a form of godliness," they lack the power of the Spirit! (2 Tim 3:5)
I can't tell anyone what to do. It’s entirely up to the individual! To decide whether to do or forego the traditional "Lord's Supper," remember that Christ himself is the "new way" to partake of him directly, not a literal bread and wine ceremony.
Realize that a symbol can never be greater than what it symbolizes. For example, a wedding ring can never be greater than the marriage itself; a child’s photo can never equal the child!
And so it goes, under the Old Covenant, all rituals and ordinances were only “a shadow (a symbol or type) of things to come; but the body (the reality) is of Christ.” (Col 2:17)
When you partake daily of Jesus Christ, the "Bread of Life", you will always be spiritually nourished. There is no ritual, however delightful and devotional, that compares with Jesus Christ dwelling in you!
"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
(John 7:38)
